Toy makers have taken advantage of the falling costs of electronic processors and memory and increasingly sophisticated sound generators utilizing programmable microcontrollers that can further be used to control other operations as well as play patterns of a toy or other amusement device. In addition, one or more user inputs can be provided in the form of switches, buttons, sensors or the like which are coupled to the microcontroller. The microcontroller responds to such inputs in accordance with how it is programmed. The microcontroller may play back sounds of various kinds, including music, speech and/or sound effects, through loud speakers or other transducers or may control sources of light, movement and so on.
The types of microcontrollers currently used in toys vary in complexity from simple, state-machine based 4-bit controllers to R.I.S.C. based 16-bit microprocessor. The choice of microcontrollers is based on many factors including costs, performance and availability.
Some devices have microcontrollers which are programmable by the ultimate user. These include, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,697,829, 5,656,907, 5,908,345 and 6,083,104. These devices either require access to an outside computer, e.g over the Internet, to download new programming or require the end user to reprogram the device itself using a PC or other separate computer. This does, however, have the benefit of allowing play patterns and/or modes of operation of the device to be changed so that the devices remain fresh and entertaining. It is believed that it would be very desirable to provide the ability to change the operation(s)/play pattern(s) of an amusement device automatically so that the user does not have to have access to the Internet, an outside processor or the like. It is further believed that having an inherent capability to change in the device would provide a very valuable capability beyond the mere change of modes of operation and play and/or play patterns. By mode of operation, reference is being made to one or more tasks provided by a controller of the device in simultaneously or in a sequence in a prescribed order. Tasks are any discrete operation performed by the device including but not limited to the recognition of user inputs and the activation of one or more sources of action, i.e. sound, light and/or movement. A play mode or play pattern is a set or collection of related mode(s) of operation, which define how the device operates or interacts with the user.
In one aspect, the invention is an electronic amusement device comprising: a housing having an outer side presented to a consumer using the device; an electronic timer in the housing configured to track time to an end of an extended time period having a length of at least a plurality of weeks and preset in the device before the device is released to the consumer, the timer further being configured to output a signal at the end of the extended period; and a controller in the housing configured to perform at least one task in at least an initial mode of operation available to the consumer using the device, the controller being operably coupled with the timer and responsive to the signal from the timer to enable, for a first time, performance of at least one new additional task the controller did not perform before receipt of the timer signal.
In another aspect, the invention is an electronic amusement device comprising: a housing having an outer side presented to a consumer using the device; a controller in the housing configured to provide at least one initial mode of operation of at least part of the device for the consumer; and an electronic timer in the housing operably coupled with the controller, the timer being configured to track time to an end of an extended time period, the period being of a length of at least a plurality of weeks and preset in the device before the device is released to the consumer, the timer further being configured to output a signal to the controller at the end of the extended period; wherein the controller is configured to respond to the signal from the timer to provide for a first time, a new mode of operation different from all of the initial modes of operation provided by the controller before receipt of the timer signal by the controller.
In yet another aspect, the invention is an electronic amusement device comprising: a housing having an outer side presented to a consumer using the device; a controller in the housing configured to provide at least one initial mode of operation of at least part of the device for the consumer; and an electronic timer in the housing operably coupled with the controller, the timer being configured to track time to an end of an extended time period, the period being of a length of at least a plurality of weeks and preset in the device before the device is released to the consumer, the timer further being configured to output a signal to the controller at the end of the extended period; wherein the controller is configured to respond to the signal from the timer to disable for a first time, at least one of the initial modes of operation provided by the controller before receipt of the timer signal by the controller.
In yet another aspect, the invention is an electronic amusement device comprising: a housing having an outer side presented to a consumer using the device; a controller in the housing configured to provide at least one initial mode of operation of at least part of the device for the consumer; and an electronic timer in the housing operably coupled with the controller, the timer being configured to track time to an end of an extended time period, the period being of a length of at least a plurality of weeks and preset in the device before the device is released to the consumer, the timer further being configured to output a signal to the controller at the end of the extended period; wherein the controller is configured to respond to the signal from the timer to change for a first time, the one initial mode of operation provided by the controller before receipt of the timer signal by the controller to a different mode of operation.